Aeroplane



May 15, 1928.

, 1,669,991 o. l.. MIDDLE-:TON

AEROPLANE Filed April 22, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l MMV 'f /l v /1 ATTORNEY.

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May 1s, 192s.

O.. L. MlDDLETON AEROPLANE Filed April 22, 1927 3 sheets-sheet Patented May 15, 192e.

UNI-rs sr TQS onLaNDo L. MIDDLETON, oF CLARKSVILLE, Missoula, Assrenaor onnignanrl'r'o WrLLARD-B. MIDDLETON, oF BOWLING GREEN, lvirss'o'URI".

AEROPLANE. f

Application flled April 22,

should the motor go dead while in ilight and to materially retard itsspeed. j

A. further object of the invention is to provide tail flaps which will all automatically 4open by air pressure-to retard the speedy of a falling aeroplane which has gone into-atail With the above and other objects in view, theinvention consists in the novel features ofconstruction, arrangement and coinbination of parts hereinafter more fully de! scribed ,and finally pointed out in the'claims hereto appended. j 1 y `liteferringto the accompanying drawings ornringa part ofLthisfspecitlcation, wherein lilre` characters of. reference denote similar parts throughout theseveral views: Y

Egal; isja top Ypla-n view of an aeroplane embodyingthe A:features of my invention'with portionsthereof .broken .away and with portions thereof in sectional elevation. f

Fig. 2, is aside elevation of the aeroplanev with the upper and lower wings rernoved and-showing the wing ribs in sectional el`eva.`

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Fig. 3, isa longitudinal vertical sectional elevationof the aeroplane. 4, o

Fig'.4,' is a transverse sectional elevation of the aeroplane.-r

. Fig.`5, is a rear elevation of the aeroplane with the tail boxflaps in open position such into a tail spin.

las they. asvsuinewhen the aeroplane develops' ln carrylng Outtheaiin offiny presentin-v ventigon, I einploy a suitable tuselage, or body loi' the cabin 'type which is provided with a forward' motor housing or' cowl .2l in front of which housing? is positioned a propellnv 3 drivenl ineansof asuitable' 1notor,`v not ShQWHi .j-.

Suitably 4conn'ecte-d'to.- the {sli-des and top of the .fuselage v-ll'are a pair loit suitable upper at andeonnected directly to the sides oQth-e vfuse'lage'.l are` apair oflower wings 5.`

Tliefupp'er and lower wings are intercon nected ineansofa plurality of strut mem@ bers 6. The upper wings extend beyond theA fr ont and rear` edges of the lower wings, as will be apparent from Fig. l, likewise the upper wings el extendfbeyond 4the, side ,edges of thello'werwings 5 vl'ron'iliigs. 4 and 5.

The wing fabricotfthe short of thesi'des of thefuselagel` toprovide updratt air passages 7 betwee'nthe ,as vwill be apparent lower wings cornes lower wing ribs S and the sidesofthe fuselage l areeach provided with `.ai plurality ofy elongated air passages 9 lwhich arerli'sposed adjacent the" upper edge ofthe sides of the fuselage just belowthe upperjwings. l and these sides are also provided with aplurality o'lf aligned elongated air vpassages l0 relatively larger than air passages 9 which latter passages are; disposed below the upper pas` Sages 9. 1 x f Secured to the -upper wings 4 `above thev fuselage l' vis` a fabric y,coveredreinforcing l crown sheet ll which is providedfwith .a plurality of airoutlet openings lfo'r gradually allowing the escape of air-.troni the interior oit theituselage l. g y

AFrein the foregoingv description, `it is'ievident that should the niotor go dead in flight, f

that in 'descendingvthere would'bev an up- .ward rush ot `air currents through passages f Lk andV also' from around the front and. rear edges of the lowerjwings 5 which would bank againstvthe upper wings fl adjacent thesides` of the fuselage 1 and find its way through' the sidewall,passages 9y and l() of` the fuselage andinto the interior ot' the fuselage l fromv Where itl ywouldl o gradually escape through the air .foutletdopeningsV l2' .in the j top l1 vofthe fuselage' l thereby tending to' maintain a condition of stability ofthe aero-l plane'k by settingup asustaininig or buoyant force to automatically stabilize the aeroplane while descending vby offering suliicientresist'- ance" to :materially retard the speed of the i descending aeroplane where itis glided to earth ataslight angle to the horizontal.

This passage ,of air upwardly through ,the

lowerwings.andthrough the side wall of the l fuselage and i1it'o.tl1e.,same is restricted in its'` escape through the `top ofthe fuselage and has thereby a tendencyto create a buoyant yeffect upon the aeroplane andcause the saine to 'descendfsi'milarto a parachute ,otlf

setting any particularfill disturbance set. up" by having the xnotorsta'll while in iight. i

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The aeroplane is provided with the verti-` .cal rudder 13 pivotally connected as at 14 to the open rear end of the skeleton tail box section15 of the fuselage 1 to provide a control surface used'forv steering in a horizontalv plane. manually controlled through the leverl 16 having a cable connection 17 with cross-head 18 which is fixed to the pivot member 14.'

The tail box section 15 has free communication withA the interior ofthe fuselage and it is provided with the upper and lower openings 19 and 2O which arekept'normally close-d vby means of the upper and lower flaps' or elevators 21k and 22, respectively, which flaps have hinged connections 23 and 24, respectively, with the end wall of the fuse'- lageA or body 1 to provide control surfaces used-for maintaining longitudinal equilibrium and for ascent and descent respectively.

The upper and lower tail box flaps 23 and 24:

are manually controlled through the levers 25 and 26, respectively, having cable connectionsQ( and 28 'with theV flaps 23 and 24, rey spectively. The tail box section 15 is furtherA provided with the left and right side wall openings 29 and 30 which are kept normally closed by means of the left and right tail .box flaps 31 land 32, respectively, which flaps have hinged connections 33 and 34:, respectively, with the end wall of the fuselage, or'

body 1V to providelateral ycontrol surfaces used for maintaining lateral balance. The left and right tail flaps 31 andv32 areman ually controlled through the levers 35 and 36, respectively, having cable connections`37 and 38 with the flaps 31 and 32, respectively, for maintaining lateral balance and for assisting the rudder' in. changing thel lateral ydirection of flight of the aeroplane.

'In case the aeroplane develops into a tail spin from any cause, the airpressure 1n the Vdescending of the machinewill cause the four'tail box `flaps to automatically open causing the inrush of air currents through y the openings of the tail box and from there into the fuselage from whereit canonly es-r cape gradually through the side Wall open'- ings` 8 and 10 and the ceiling openings 12 which vwill set up a sustaining and buoyant forceto retard vthe tail spin speed of the aeroplane, thuscausing the aeroplane to descend.

l,similar toa parachute due to the vfact that the fuselage has been filled with air which can only escape gradually therefrom.

I do not wish to be understood as having The action ofthe rudder 13 is changes, orl modifications, as may fairly fall within the vscope of the appended claims when fairly construed.

Vhat I claim is: 1. In an aeroplane structure, 'a cabin like fuselage having air inlet passages in the side walls and air outlet openings in the top wall thereof, upper wings and lower wings having air inlet passages therein adjacent the side Walls of the fuselage.

2. In an'aeroplane structure, a 'cabin like fuselage having air inlet passages inf the side walls and air outlet openings in the top wall thereof, upper wings and lower wings having air inlet passages therein adjacent the sidewalls of the fuselage, said wings andl fuselage air inlet passages and said fuselage' air outlet openings all being so arranged Vas to admit air into the fuselage more readily than its escape therefrom to set up a sustainingor buoyant force tending 'to maintain the stability of the-aeroplane in descent when the motor has gone dead in flight and effect a parachute landing of vthe aeroplane.

3. In an` aeroplane structure, a kcabinlike fuselage having air inlet passages in the side walls and airoutlet openings in the top wallv thereof, upper wings and lower wingshaving air inlet passages therein adjacent .the side walls of the fuselage, a tail'boxy extending rearwardly from the fuselage, a cable` controlled rudderV carried thereby, said t'ail eoA box having top, lbottom and side wall openy ings therein, andhingedly supportedfla'ps for normally closing said tail box openings; 4. In an aeroplane structure, a cabin like' fuselage having air inlet passages inthe side Walls and air outlet openings in the top wall thereof, upper wings and lower wings hav-v ing air inlet passages therein adjacent the" side walls of the fuselage, a tail box extend-` ing rearwardly from the fuselage, acable controlled rudder carried thereby, said tail box having top, bott-om and side wall Aopenl ings therein, and hingedly supported flaps vfor normally closing said tail box openings, said flaps adapted to be automatically opened by airpres'sure in case of a tail spin thereby providing spread control surfaces and caus-r` ing the rush of air intothe tail box and into `the fuselage therefrom from where it graduallyes'capes through the side Wall passages and top wall openings settingup asustaining or buoyant force tending to retard the descendingspeed of the aeroplane and effeet a parachute landing:A y

5. In anaeroplane structure, a cabin like fuselage having upper and lower-wings, said fuselage having its side wallsprovided with a plurality of air passa es and having its top wall providedwith a p urality ofl air outlet openings, a tail ybox extending rearwardly from said fuselage and having its top, botltom, side and end wallsprovided with openings, al rudder extending'into the rear'opening, and tail flaps normally closing the top, vbottom and side openings of 'the tail box,

said Haps being manually controlled to change the direction of flight and automati- -ca'lly opened when the aeroplane develops into a tail spin to provide control surfaces to'all sides of the tail box tending to set up a retarding action to the speed of the falling plane and permit air to pass through the tail box and into the fuselage from Where it escapes gradually thereby setting upa sustaining and buoyant force to retard the speed of the aeroplane While in a tail spin and 'to effect a parachute landing thereof.

6. In an aeroplane structure, a cabinlike fuselage, upper wings, lower wings having the top, bottom and side Wall openings of the tail box.

7. In an aeroplane structure,.a cabin like fuselage,- upper wings, lower wings having openings therein adjacent the side walls of the fuselage, said fuselage having a plurality of openings Vin its side walls and havingy a plurality of openings in its top wall, a tail box having communication with the interior of the fuselage and havingits top wall, bottom wall, side Awalls and its rear end Wall l each provided with an opening, a rudder pivotallysupportedat one endin the rear end opening of the tail box, hinged flaps for the top, bottom and side Wall openings of the tail box, means for controlling the movement y of said rudder and'means for normally controlling the movement Aof said tail box flaps but permit of being automatically opened by air V pressure when ,the aeroplane descends in a tail spin to provide spread control surfaces. A f' v 8. In combinationwith a fuselage, a tail box extending rearwardly from the fuselage, said tail box Ahaving top7 bot-tom and side wall openings, iiap members hingedly connected at their inner ends to the fuselage for normally closing said top7 bottom and sidel l l 55 wall openings, 'said Hap members being manually contro led to change the direction of flight and automaticallyvopened when the aeroplane develops into'a tail spin to setup va ret-arding action to the speed of the falling aeroplane.

" In testimony whereof I have hereunto aff fixedmy signature.

ORLANDO L. MIDDLETON. 

